A newly discovered map of the War of 1812 Battle of Craney Island

By Mark St. John Erickson, merickson@dailypress.com | 757-247-4783

Sketch of Craney Island

Courtesy of the Sir Robert Barrie Papers, Rubenstein Library, Duke University

This detail from a recently discovered period map found in the papers of Royal Navy Capt. Robert Barrie at Duke University offers a detailed look at the American defenses of Norfolk, Craney Island and the Elizabeth River during the War of 1812.

This detail from a recently discovered period map found in the papers of Royal Navy Capt. Robert Barrie at Duke University offers a detailed look at the American defenses of Norfolk, Craney Island and the Elizabeth River during the War of 1812. (Courtesy of the Sir Robert Barrie Papers, Rubenstein Library, Duke University)

Unlike the Civil War, the War of 1812 in Hampton Roads left such a dearth of artifacts and records that it's been tough finding ways to illustrate what are some pretty dramatic but strangely invisible stories.

That scarcity of documents is what makes this practically unknown period map of Norfolk, Craney Island and the American defenses on the Elizabeth River so special.

Williamsburg historian Stuart L. Butler, who is the retired assistant chief of the military archives branch of the National Archives and author of “Defending the Old Dominion: Virginia and its Militia in the War of 1812,” shared the map with me during my first interview with him back in January.

He found it in the papers of Royal Navy Capt. Robert Barrie, who served about the 74-gun HMS Dragon in the Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812, and whose records can now be seen in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University.

What's so good about the map are the details showing the earthworks at Craney Island, the positions of Forts Norfolk and Nelson and the US Frigate Constellation, which had been bottled up in the river by the British fleet. Also shown are some of the American gunboats, which defended the east side of the channel, and the soundings indicating the depth of the tidal creek which the British land tried and failed to cross as part of their larger and equally unsuccessful June 22, 1813 attack on Craney Island.

"It's a mystery where it came from. We don't know if it was drawn by the British or captured from an American," Butler says.

"But it's very good, with lots of details and seems to date to 1813 -- so compared to everything else out there it's a very nice map."

Look for my upcoming stories on the June 19, 1813 attack launched by the American gunboats against the frigate HMS Junon, which was anchored off Newport News Point. Also coming up is the Battle of Craney Island.

You can find links to two previously published War of 1812 stories in an earlier post.